Combined telephone and time system



(No Model.) *2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. W. WILLSON.

COMBINED TELEPHONE 'AND TIME SYSTEM.

N0, 308,225. Patented Nov. 18, 1884.

(No Model.)

110,308,225. Patented Nov. 18, 1884.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ROBERT \V. IVILLSON, OF NEXV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

COMBINED TELEPHONE AND TiME SYSTEM.

3PECIFICATEON forming part of Letters Patent Ne. 308,225, dated November 18, 1884-.

Application filed February 23, 1884.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. WILLsON, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Combined Telephone and Time System; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, the arrangement of a central office of a telephone system with apparatus for arresting the alternating currents and making continuous currents at predetermined times; Fig. 2, a detached view showing the arms a as they are arranged with relation to the armature of a multiple relay; Fig. 3, a top view, and Fig. 4, a side view, of the station apparatus for receiving the alternating or c0ntinuous currents, as the case may be; Fig. 5, a modification.

This invention relates to a device to be used in combination with a telephone system,whereby from the main office standard time may be communicated to the several stations, either by giving a predetermined signal at certain intervals or by connection with the synchronizing mechanism of a clock to set the point ers at such predetermined time; and the invention consists, generally, in charging the lines at predetermined intervals with a continuous current from the central oifice through 'an apparatus at the several stations affected by such continuous currents to produce certain signals, but not affected by the ordinary alternating currents used for calling either the station or the central office.

In Fig. 1, I represents the central oiiice of a telephone system of four circuits, at l) c d representing the four drops on the anuunciator. To these come the lines, respectively, A B C D, the line E representing the ground.

F is an armature-lever working between the two contacts 0 f, drawn to the contact 0 by a suitable spring, g. This armature lever is grounded, as shown, so that when it stands against the contact a the circuit is made through the annunciator or switch-board in the usual (No model.)

manner, and the system is working as a telephone system. Upon the side of the armature-lever F, opposite the contact 0, a magnet, G, is arranged, which, when in circuit, will attract the armature-lever, break the contact 0, and make the contactf. From the magnet G one wire, 71, runs to the magnets II, thence, with aloeal battery, to the principal or centraloiiice clock I. The other line, i, comes from the clock to the magnet. One wire, Z, of the battery L is in connection with the armatures M of the magnets II. The other wire, m, from the battery runs to the contact f. The clock I is provided with any of the many known devices for closing the circuit and holding it closed for a short space of time at prcdetermined intervals. The device for closing the circuit between'i'he wires II and I in the clock is not shown; but such devices are too well known to require particular description, it only being essential that there shall be some device in the clock to close the circuit at the said predetermined times. \Vhen at such predetermined time the clock closes the circuit, the armature-lever F is instantly attracted to the magnet G, taking it from the contact 0, and bringing it upon the contact f, which at once cuts oil the ground through the switchboard. At the same time the magnets II II attract the said armatures M.-

As shown, the two armaturcs M M are connected by a bar, N. Above this bar springs or arms a are arranged in number corresponding to the telephone circuits or wires A B C, and from each of these arms 11 awire, which may include resistance to equalize the line, runs into connection with the respective lines A B C D. These arms or springs a, when the circuit through the magnetsII is broken, stand above the bar X; but as that bar rises with the armatures it makes contact with the several springs, as seen in Fig. 2. The current from one pole of the battery L passes out through the lines, the other pole being in connection with the armaturelever F to the ground. soon as the clock breaks its circuit at the termination of said short space of time, the armature-lever F breaks from the contact f and makes with the contact 0 and restores the switchboard into its usual condition, it being understood that the space of time during which the contact is made through f is of sufficient duration to give the required signal, or to synchronize the clock, if that be the device by which the time is given.

Through the telephone-circuits the current is the alternating current; but during the said interval the current will be continuous. Now, if a device he applied at the several stations which is affected by the continuous current, but not affected by the alternating currents, it follows that the making and breaking of the circuit by the clock at the central office will act upon that device, while the ordinary callsignals will not produce the time-signals. Such a device I show in Figs. 3 and 4.

I? is the armature-lever of an ordinary polarized relay, so adjusted that when no current is passing it is necessarily against the stop 3. This is accomplished by the use of a spring, as shown, or by adjusting the lever I between the stops 3 4, so that when it stands against the stop 8 the face of the armature on that side of the lever will stand nearer to its pole than does the opposite face of the armature from its pole. In this case the spring may be omitted.

T is a rocking beam, hung upon centers 0', and so as to rock in a vertical planethat is, in a plane at right angles to the lever I. This beam is provided with a weight, U, at one end, and a corresponding weight, XV, at the other end. These weights are screwed onto the beam, so as to be adjustable, whereby the one, XV, may be made to slightly overbalance the weight U. From the beam or axis on which it turns an arm, it, extends up upon that side of the lever P toward the stop 3. I11 its normal position the lever I is held against the stop 3 by the spring, and when so held the lever .l? bears against the arm 15, and holds the beam in the position seen in Fig. 4, with the weight XV raised. The overbalancing power of the weight XV is considerably less than the power which holds the lever to the stop 3, and so that the power of the weight is not sufficient to draw the lever from its stop 3. One wire, 1%, is in connection with the beam and weight XV. As the lever P vibrates under the effect of the usual alternating current, its vibrations are so rapid that the beam has not time to turn under the overbalancing power of the weight XV, that overbalancing power being very light, and gravity only, its movement is naturally extremely slow; but if the lever be drawn to the stop 4 by a continuous current in the proper direction, and there held during the short space of time before mentioned, then the beam will be permitted by the overbalancing power of the weight XV to turn, causing the weight XV to descend. It will be understood that the timesignal is a current in such proper direction. Below the weight is a contactpoint, 5, with which the other wire, S, is connected. The circuit through the wires R S is therefore open so long as the weight XV stands a my from its contact 5; but under the continuous current so soon as the weight XV strikes the contact 5 the circuit is closed through the wires It S, the said wires R S being in connection with a clock or other time-signaling device. If with a clock, it may be the usual synchronizing mechanism, which is actuated by the current through the circuit closed by the weight XV coming upon the contact 5.

The clocksynchronizing mechanism is too well understood to require illustration in this specification, or any suitable or known signal may be employed to give at the station the information as to time. The synchronizing-clock is sufficient for illustration.

In the above illustration of a device where by under a continuous current the time-signal or standard time is connnunicated to the several stations on the circuit from the main office, the armature-lever I? may be understood to be the lever of the usual signaling apparatus, and which carries the hammer at its outer end to strike the bells; but it must be so adjusted as to always normally rest at the same side. The alternating current, which causes the bell-lever to vibrate rapidly, will prevent the beam turning to make contact; but the continuous current over the line will bring the bell-lever to a stand in such position as to permit the weight XV to make the contact 5; then the standard time is given as before.

XVhile the weighted lever and apparatus which I have described successfully carries out my invention I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to this or any particular device through which a continuous eur rent will act to make the time-contact, and which will not be affected or caused to operate by the alternating current, as other devices may be substituted thereforas, for illustration such a device as seen in Fig. 5. In this figure I represents a magnetic needle or lever hung upon apoint to swing in a horizontal plane like a magnetic needle, and with which the wire it is connected. This lever is free to vibrate on its center in a horizontal plane. 5 represents a contact-point, the same as the contact 5, before referred to, and with which the line S is in connection. This contact point is in the path of the lever 6 as itswings in its horizontal plane. 7 represents a coil in the path ofthe same point ofthelever 6 as the contact 5, but upon the opposite side of the lever. S represents a stop against which the lever 6 will strike, and so as to prevent actual contact with thepole of the coil 7. The usual alternating currents will hold the south pole of the lever (3 against the stop 8, the break in the alternating currents being too short to permit the repulsion. of that south pole; but a continuous current, say, during the before-mentioned short space of time, will repulse that pole or end of the lever 6, causing it to engage the contact 5, as seen in broken lines Fig. 5, and make the circuit the same as did the weight XV, before described, and so soon as that short space of time has expired, or the continuous current is interrupted, then the lever 6 will be attracted by the coil and return to its stop 8.

It will be understood that the movement of the lever upon its center is so slow or sluggish that the alternating current does not sensibly affect it or cause it to turn upon its center; but the continuous current, being of longer dura tion, gives the lever time to turn under the repulsive force of such continuous current. This illustration will be sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to adapt other apparatus at the several stations which will be af fected by the continuous current to produce the time-signals, but which will not be affected by the ordinary alternating currents used for signaling either the station or the central office.

I have represented the mutiple relay as employing two magnets, H H; but it will be uir derstood that one of the magnets may be omitted, it only being essential that the magnet shall be arranged so that its power will bring the several lines into the time-circuit.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method herein described of communicating time-signals over the lines of telephone system, consisting in charging the lines at'predetermined intervals with a continuous current from the central officc through an apparatus at the several stations affected by such currents to produce certain signals, but not affected by the ordinary alternating currents used for signaling between the same stations and the main offiee, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a telephone system, of a battery, a multiple relay, lines leading from the lines of the telephone-circuits outside the switch board to said multiple relay, a magnet, armature-lever, and contact-points between which said arm ature-lever works, one of said contacts making the ground from the switch-board, the other from said battery, and mechanism, substantially such as described, to close andbreak the circuit through said multiple relay, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the lever P, of a polarized relay, the beam T, hung to swing in a plane at substantially right angles to said lever P, the contact end of the beam heavier than its opposite end, the said beam in connection with one wire of a circuit, and a contact in the path of the heavier end of the beam in connection with the other wire, and a device, substantially such as described, be-

tween said beam and said lever, whereby in 

